Nikon 1 V3 gets more conventional design, superfast burst, $1,200 price tag

Nikon takes its flagship interchangeable-lens camera line to new heights, promising the fastest burst with autofocus at full resolution in its class. The Nikon 1 V3 not only outdoes the AW1 with a 20fps continuous-shooting rate, but incorporates an updated autofocus system that covers more of the imaging area than previous versions, plus a new version of its 1-inch sensor that (like many of Nikon's cameras of late) drops the anti-aliasing filter from the sensor for the promise of sharper images. In a considerable redesign of the V2, the camera has a much smaller grip and drops the built-in EVF in favor of a bundled add-on unit.

Nikon overhauls the design of its flagship ILC

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The bulked-up feature set includes a tilting touch-screen LCD and built-in Wi-Fi. In addition to a bump in video frame rate to 60p, the camera also has 720p slow-motion capability, and there's electronic image stabilization available in movie mode. A new creative mode aggregates a lot of existing filters but adds the ability to change parameters. Nikon includes an add-on grip with the kit (GR-N1010) that compensates for the slimmed down grip on the body when you've got a heavy lens attached; it has a second shutter, subcommand dial, and function button.

Speaking of lenses, the V3 comes with a new kit lens. Nikon's jumping on the power zoom bandwagon with an electronic version of its 10-30mm CX-mount staple. Dubbed the 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom, it has the same specs as its standard sibling but is about a half-inch shorter and an ounce lighter. It also costs more than $100 more; its manufacturer price will be $299.95 when bought standalone. And because one of the benefits of opting for a small-sensored camera is more compact telephoto lenses, Nikon debuts the 1 Nikkor 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR, with an effective focal range of 189-810mm and some of the higher-end coatings. While it's pretty compact -- only 4.2 inches long at rest -- it's fairly heavy at over a pound (19.7 oz./560 g), and not inexpensive at just under $1,000.

The cheaper Nikon 1 models seem to be more in demand, and the V3 comes in at the high end of the spectrum; there's quite a bit of competition in its class, including Nikon's cheaper but weatherproof AW1. It'll be interesting to see if its worth it for the high-speed burst. A lot depends on how deep the buffer is and how sustainable it is not just for JPEG -- and Nikon tends to default to a lower-quality JPEG -- but for raw.